Hyperpop - The DJ Diaries

⏱ 2 min read

Hyper-compressed, glitchy digital aesthetics from PC Music. SOPHIE and A.G. Cook’s work was genuinely original. Most Hyperpop that followed was aesthetic cosplay.

What Hyperpop sounds like

Pop pushed to breaking point: pitched-up vocals, Auto-Tune cranked to a robotic squeal, blown out bass, and synths that sound like plastic. Songs switch genres mid-verse, from bubblegum to metal to trance. Everything is loud, bright and glitchy, and the crowd screams every word.

What you would see

Bedroom producers on Discord and SoundCloud, livestreams during lockdown, and fans in dyed hair, chains and Y2K clothes. Artwork looks like glossy 3D renders and early internet memes.

Where and when

Hyperpop took shape around 2019 in London, UK and online (USA). Tracks usually run at varies widely, often 140 to 180 BPM. You will also see it called PC Music, digicore.

Family tree

It grew out of Trap.

Artists to start with

SOPHIE, A. G. Cook and 100 gecs.

Labels that carried it

PC Music (United Kingdom, 2013).

One track to hear

100 gecs, hand crushed by a mallet (2019). It is an official upload, and you can play it on this genre’s card in the Dance Music Timeline.

Where it stands in 2026

Fragmented; the label rejected by many artists.

Want to hear how it connects to its neighbours? Plan a mix from here with Tempo Bridge, or see where it sits among 127 genres on the timeline.

From the booth

Hyperpop is pop pushed to breaking point. Tempos vary widely, often 140 to 180 BPM, with pitched up vocals, Auto Tune cranked to a robotic squeal, blown out bass and synths that sound like plastic. It grew from Trap.

Songs switch genres mid verse, from bubblegum to metal to trance. Everything is loud, bright and glitchy, and the crowd screams every word. I tend to play it for a young, online savvy crowd, or as a jolt in an experimental set. Listen for the sudden switches. One tip if you are starting out: forget smooth mixing and embrace hard cuts. Hyperpop is chaotic by design, so bold transitions suit it well.

Sources

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